Present
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Snowflakes were catching on Weiss's eyelashes, dusting over her pale cheeks, effectively distracting Ruby almost enough to cause her to trip. The younger girl just barely managed to stop herself from stumbling, chuckling slightly to herself as she led her partner onward. "Almost there..." [Merry Christmas!]


**Ah, gosh was down all day today, so it's a bit late, but here it is! Another White Rose fic for the holidays! There was no way I could listen to all the Christmas songs for the past two weeks and _not_ think of these two, ahah.**

**Dedicated to Hano, Ash, Kelly, Emma, Ami, Mari, Jon, Angie, Hiro, and Emmy! (I love you all so much, thanks for everything!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Present

"Come on, come on!"

"Ruby, where are you taking me?"

"Shhh! You'll find out!"

"You troublesome little..."

Weiss muttered under her breath as her girlfriend took both of her gloved hands in her own. Ruby was leading her forward as the younger girl herself walked backward, keeping her silver eyes locked on Weiss's mist-blue gaze.

It was snowing outside, and the world had already been coated in the previous night's flurry. Specks of soft white dotted Ruby's hair, her scarf, her jacket, her leggings, her cloak, just about every inch of her, while Weiss's own attire was far less dappled with the white fluff.

Ruby had been outside all morning after having told Weiss to dress for the cold and wait inside the school, left grumbling and wondering to herself what her leader was up to on such an important morning.

Presently, the heiress made an attempt to peek over Ruby's shoulder, but the other girl predicted her intentions and blocked her view with her pouting face.

"Nope! You're gonna have to close your eyes, Weiss!" She scolded.

"Excuse me? Why in the world do I have to-"

"Weiss."

"..." The heiress let out a long sigh, her breath billowing in a visible puff of exasperation. But she closed her eyes nonetheless. "If you let me fall, then I'll stuff snow down your hood." She muttered.

"Right, right." Ruby sang.

She checked over her shoulder, making sure she was indeed heading toward her designated destination. She led Weiss along slowly, their red and blue boots crunching quietly in the snow.

Snowflakes were catching on Weiss's eyelashes, dusting over her pale cheeks, effectively distracting Ruby almost enough to cause her to trip. The younger girl just barely managed to stop herself from stumbling, chuckling slightly to herself as she led her partner onward.

"Almost there..."

Weiss allowed Ruby pull her in the direction she wanted her to go, letting out another impatient sigh. Just as she began to think she was seeing shapes on the backs of her eyelids, Ruby stopped pulling her.

"Okay!" She let go of Weiss's hands and quickly ran behind her girlfriend, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Open your eyes!"

"Honestly..." Weiss sighed. "What could you have _possibly_..."

The heiress opened her eyes as Ruby pushed her forward another step.

Before her was a scene from a holiday greeting card, a life-sized display she had seen in countless shop windows within the past several weeks:

A large sleigh was stopped on the side of the street, deep brown mahogany wood sculpted into the same shape Weiss had seen on so many toys throughout the stores of Vale. Garlands of pine needles and holly leaves laced with red and white ribbons bannered the sides in wavy patterns, bright red berries visible even from this distance. Large old-fashioned wheels supported the body of the carriage, lifting it up off the ground high enough for a step to be necessary to be constructed on the side in order to reach the bench on top.

A beautiful, white stallion stood at the front of the vehicle, stomping a shaggy hoof onto the pavement as it gave its head a shake, sending a chorus of tiny bells jingling in the process. A young man dressed in black and white formal wear sat at the driver's bench holding the reins; when he saw Weiss's eyes travel up to him, he smiled. His slight chuckle indicated to Weiss the expression she must have been making at that moment, and she quickly closed her jaw that had been slightly ajar until now. She could feel Ruby bouncing up and down beside her, fingers eagerly tugging at the ends of Weiss's blue scarf.

"Soooo?" Ruby hummed. "What do you think?"

"What do I...?" Weiss shook her head, still flabbergasted. "I... I don't understand..."

Ruby's expression went crestfallen for a second, making the heiress feel terribly guilty. But a second later, it was time for Ruby's jaw to drop in disbelief.

"Weiss, you silly goose! We're going on a sleigh-ride!" She explained, the smile quickly returning to her lips. "I kinda... you know, I rented it for an hour... for your Christmas present." She took her partner's hands again and kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Weiss!" Her silver eyes were still shimmering brightly with excitement, and Weiss pulled her own gaze away to look back up at the sleigh.

After another minute of silence from her partner, Ruby's shoulders began to slump. "Do you... not like it...?" She sounded on the verge of tears.

Weiss felt a pang in her heart as she quickly directed her eyes back to Ruby's face. "Of _course_ that's not it, you _dunce_!" Since Ruby still held onto her hands, the only thing Weiss could think to do was headbutt her chidingly.

Ruby staggered back a step and moaned, but when she looked up again, Weiss was glaring down at her. "Are you quite daft? Of _course_ I like it! How ever could I _not_ like something so beautiful? What makes you think I-mmph!"

Her discourse ended abruptly when Ruby pressed her lips against hers. Weiss was torn between kissing her back or nipping her, but did not have enough time to do either before her girlfriend pulled away.

"I'm glad you like it!" Ruby beamed. She rubbed her thumbs over the backs of Weiss's blue gloves, her cheeks flushed pink, less likely due to the snow than other things.

Weiss felt the blood rush to her own cheeks as well and she had to turn away, lest she be smitten anew by those lovely silver pools.

"W-Well, are we just going to stand here all day, then?" She muttered.

"Right! Let's go!" Ruby bounded toward the sleigh, tugging Weiss along with her. The driver smiled as Ruby stepped up onto the wooden floor, offering her hand down to Weiss. "Watch your step!" She cautioned.

Now that she was even closer to the structure, Weiss was even more awestruck.

"Where did you even manage to rent one of these?" She wondered, jumping a bit as Ruby pulled her up onto the carriage.

"I asked around." Her girlfriend replied with a simple shrug.

Ruby then led her over to the bench at the back of the carriage, dusting the snow off of the wood. She sat down before patting the spot beside her, coaxing Weiss to have a seat as well. The heiress carefully made her way over and took her spot beside Ruby.

"Bundle up!" The brunette tucked Weiss's white scarf snugly around her shoulders. "Once we get going the wind might get a bit chilly!" She brushed some snow off her girlfriend's head, her alabaster hair already blended with crystals.

Weiss ruffled Ruby's hair in return, dislodging the fluff that had been piling on her head all morning.

When the two settled in at last, Ruby pulled Weiss closer by her waist with one hand and gave the driver a thumbs up with the other. The man nodded before returning his attention to the front and rousing the stallion. With a brief whinny, the horse began to pull, and the sleigh lurched forward; had Ruby not been holding onto her, Weiss knew she would have fallen forward.

Ruby chuckled as Weiss sat back again, slightly bashful, and the sleigh began to move along the pavement. As soon as the mighty hooves started clopping along, the echoes of numerous jingle bells reverberated through the frigid winter air, the wind carrying the sounds as it brushed past their faces. Weiss's ponytail whipped out behind her and ended up smacking Ruby in the face. The young huntress coughed dramatically as Weiss attempted to suppress a chuckle, but to no avail.

The sleigh was pulled through the streets of Vale, which had been decorated appropriately for the season: street lamps were spotted with wreaths and colorful lights, shops wore banners and cut-outs of candies and toys, and the people who sauntered the sidewalks adorned warm attire and held gifts if not the hand of a lover.

Ruby snuck a peek at her girlfriend; her face was angled away from Ruby, but she could still see the excited glow in those familiar mist-blue eyes, her breath light with wonder and elation. Ruby instinctively pulled her closer, giggling to herself upon seeing Weiss's innocent reaction to the magical experience.

"It's like a fairytale..." Weiss murmured.

Ruby knew Weiss always pretended she did not believe in such "childish" things as fairytales; it was a front she always liked to put up, perhaps even one of her favorites. But Ruby had been the only one ever to see her slip, often when the heiress was met with a breathtaking scenery, and now was no different.

Ruby let slip another short laugh.

"And just _what_ is so funny?" Weiss glowered back at her.

"Nothing, nothing~!"

The white stallion continued to trot through the snowy streets - the sounds of quick hooves mixed amidst the jingling of bells was a symphony that could be heard all around Vale.

It was then when the driver directed them toward the park when the bustling sounds of the city died away and the wind grew a bit stronger, the breeze unbroken by buildings.

Despite the shaking of the sleigh as it moved, Ruby could swiftly discern that Weiss was shivering a bit. Ruby nestled closer to her as she draped half of her cloak around Weiss, having the heiress lean on her a little.

The park was sprinkled with evergreen trees which were coiled with spiraling lights, blinking brightly even in the middle of the snowy day. The horse followed a cobblestone path that cut through the heart of the park, and they were surrounded by peaceful scenes on all sides.

Ruby was enjoying the sleigh-ride enough just by having Weiss beside her, but her girlfriend was putting quite a lot of effort into not letting her excitement be visible; unfortunately for Weiss, it was not working very well.

Ruby's smile kept widening every time she heard Weiss gasp in wonder, every time her eyes sparkled, every time her lips curled ever so slightly upward. The sights were dazzling, but Ruby simply could not bring herself to tear her gaze away from her beautiful girlfriend.

She rubbed her hand up and down Weiss's arm to keep her warm, and she felt Weiss's arm wrap around her back and bring her closer as well. Their cheeks were rosy pink and the air was chilly, but there was nothing but warmth between them.

The snowflakes continued to spiral down, powdering the world in soft white, the presence of the sleigh enhancing the holiday atmosphere tenfold. Ruby allowed herself to be a bit smug; she had managed to rent the only sleigh in town for today, and it was solely for herself and her wonderful girlfriend.

Weiss brushed her hand over Ruby's hair again, swiping away some of the snow. "You look a little cold." She murmured.

Weiss pressed herself even closer to Ruby's side, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, the fuzzy fabrics of her crimson scarf warming the heiress's cheeks.

Ruby glanced down at her partner, adjusting her cloak over Weiss's shoulders. She rested her cheek gingerly atop her girlfriend's head, sighing blissfully as the sleigh continued to carry them along.

Ruby knew that their ride was almost over, and she guessed that Weiss was assuming as much as well, for she nestled deeper into Ruby's shoulder as though wanting to shut the reality away and continue living in the dreamland forever.

But her cheeks were flushed and her hair had bee crystalized, and Weiss knew that Ruby had been outside amidst the snow for much longer that morning, and the notion of her girlfriend catching cold on Christmas day did not settle well with the heiress.

Weiss blinked her eyes open slowly, savoring the last few moments of the fantastical scenery as she huddled up beside the one that she loved.

At last, the rushing of the wind that their ears had grown so accustomed to over the past hour finally slowed and died away as the horse's rhythmic steps came to a stop.

Weiss sighed as she realized they were back where they had started, and she wished she could do it all over again. But when she looked up at her girlfriend, she could easily tell that the younger girl was getting chilly, and that was more than enough to get the heiress moving.

But just before she got up, Weiss got Ruby's attention.

"Ruby..." She brushed her hands against her leader's cheeks. "Thank you... _so_ much for this. It was wonderful, beautiful... almost as much as you." She smiled, a little smugly at that, as she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend's lips, proud that she could call this girl her own for as long as they may live.

She felt Ruby's arms wrap around her shoulders as Weiss deepened the kiss, turning her head slightly as the cold was expelled from their breaths. Ruby's gloved fingers played with Weiss's hair for a moment until they broke apart.

When Weiss's eyes met with silver again, she flicked her gaze into her lap. "I'm sorry I... didn't get you anything for Christmas, nothing as amazing as this, anyway..."

"Hey..." Ruby tilted her girlfriend's chin up to look at her again. "You know you're the only present I'll ever need." She knew it was as cheesy as something her sister would say, but Ruby simply could not resist. Plus, she truly did believe it.

Her arms pulled Weiss in by the shoulders and Ruby's soft lips pressed against the scar over the heiress's left eye. Weiss closed her eyes briefly and let Ruby's warmth wash over her yet again, offering whatever amount of it she had in return.

Ruby pulled away, allowing the snowflakes to take refuge on Weiss's eyelashes once more. The young huntress stood and pulled Weiss up with her, both stumbling a bit and clutching onto one another as the blood came rushing back into their legs.

Having already paid the fare previously, Ruby simply nodded to the driver and offered her enthusiastic thanks. Weiss bowed her head to him as well, but he waved them off with a smile.

Ruby headed for the step first to exit the sleigh, but an unseen patch of ice had managed to cover its surface. Weiss gasped, but reached out too late to save her girlfriend from tumbling into a pile of snow.

"R-Ruby! Are you okay?" She crouched low, prepared to leap down to her.

The brunette quickly scrambled up and wiped the snow from her already-snow-covered attire, laughing as she licked the cold flakes off her lips. But when she saw Weiss posed to jump, she instantly threw her hands up.

"No, no, Weiss the step's icy! I'm fine, it was a very soft landing, as you can see." Ruby gave her head a shake as powdered white sprinkled down around her. She saw Weiss sigh with relief upon seeing her unharmed, which caused Ruby to smile. She caught the driver's eye as he bowed his head in apology but Ruby merely laughed again. "I'm fine, I'm fine! It was kinda fun, actually."

Weiss smiled a little when she was sure Ruby was okay. "You dunce. Don't worry me like that."

"Sorry, sorry."

Weiss directed her gaze to the frozen step, trying to locate where the ice was as she raised her boot over it.

"Weiss, don't!" Ruby blurted, effectively halting the heiress's step. "Instead of risking you falling too, there's a much better solution, don' you think?"

Weiss glanced down at her curiously, tilting her head to one side, puzzled.

But a few seconds later she smiled again when she saw Ruby open her arms wide. "Jump!"

Weiss made sure to capture that scene within her heart, her girlfriend's bright smile as she invited Weiss into her arms.

The heiress did not hesitate a second longer. She bent her knees slightly before kicking off, hair and scarf snapping out behind her as she leapt through the frosty air. It was cold for a split second until she felt Ruby there before her, a warm embrace ready to catch her; in that instant, Weiss's heart felt lighter than ever before.

Ruby managed to do something she had always wanted to try; she hugged her partner tightly and spun Weiss around once before letting her down.

Ruby laughed joyously as she snuggled into Weiss's shoulder, and likewise, the heiress chuckled a bit as she buried her face in Ruby's scarf.

A moment later, they stepped apart to find that the carriage was already taking off. Ruby held Weiss's right hand in her left, and used her free hand to wave happily at the back of the driver.

As Ruby stared off down the street while the jingling of bells was lost to the breeze, Weiss caught sight of something in the snow. She reached down to scoop it up, discovering it was a decoration from the sleigh, a bundle of green holly leaves with a few red berries in between. A smile spread across her lips.

"Ruby, come here." Weiss eagerly tugged on her girlfriend's hand.

"What? Aren't we gonna go back inside?" Ruby wondered as Weiss led her to a grove of nearby trees.

"In a moment."

Weiss led Ruby beneath the branches of an evergreen, haloed with snow. The heiress let go of her hand briefly as she lifted the leaves into view. Ruby blinked as she watched Weiss call forth her elemental powers, gathering dozens of tiny snowflakes to the top of the cluster of leaves. It lifted into the air, carried by the snow, until it came to a stop at the tip of the evergreen's branch that jutted out directly above their heads. Weiss then froze the snowflakes, securing the makeshift mistletoe in place.

The heiress stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck as their noses brushed together.

"If this is truly all you want as a present..." she murmured. "Then Merry Christmas, Ruby."

Weiss kissed her girlfriend lovingly, expressing her gratitude, her joy, her never-ending affection for this girl.

A breathtaking scent wreathed around her in that beautiful moment, a mixture of crisp ice, lively with their love, and the soft, tangy scent of roses.

Ruby kissed her girlfriend back with all her heart, squeezing her arms around the small of Weiss's back, feeling the rush of snowflakes and petals envelop them, caressing them both in a gentle warmth.

Their lips remained in contact for as long as their lungs would allow, channeling affection between them.

When at last they pulled apart and reopened their eyes, mist-blue locked with silver as it had so many times before. Ruby nuzzled her cheek fondly as Weiss kissed her cheek in return.

Soon, they stepped away, allowing their hands to come together yet again as they gazed about them at the flurry of red and white.

"It's beautiful..." Weiss breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you."

That earned Ruby another kiss.

"Come on," the heiress began leading her back toward the school. "Let's get inside. I'll make you some tea."

Ruby smiled as she happily bounded after her. "I'd love that!" She swung their arms back and forth between them as they walked. Weiss turned to her, opening her mouth to speak, but Ruby cut her off with a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Weiss. I love you."

Curse this girl's semblance; she always beat her to it.

Weiss sighed in defeat, but softly pecked Ruby again anyway.

"Merry Christmas, Ruby. I love you, too."

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**A/N: And a very Merry Christmas to all of you!**

**Please review!**


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